There’s no official Top Ten Tuesday theme this week, but I thought I’d post something anyway. Here’s ten things I need to know about people I like (and their books).
- Can you name a favourite? It doesn’t matter if you can or can’t, but one hopes you know the answer! I can’t, but if I was pressed I’d name The Goblin Emperor as one of my favourite recent books, and The Lord of the Rings or The Grey King for an older one.
- Do you dog-ear pages, use a bookmark, or just remember the page number? I’m not a fan of dog-earing, myself. I use bookmarks — more than one, usually. (Where I’ve read up to, and where I’d like to get to before I put the book down next.)
- Do you bend the spines, or keep your books pristine? Honestly, there’s arguments on both sides. I keep a lot of my books pristine, but there are some old beloved copies that aren’t.
- Do you buy second-hand books? Possibly you’d think I don’t, given that I do like to keep many of my books pristine. But actually, I don’t care as long as it’s consistent. Don’t bend just half the spine, ugh.
- What genre do you read? I’m pretty eclectic, myself, so I’ll often know at least some books in common with anybody. This just gives me a direction!
- Do you use the library? I love libraries, having volunteered in one myself and used them as a lifeline at times.
- Do you buy books at all? Some people only use libraries, and I don’t get that. I’m too impatient for new books!
- Do you believe that there are books everyone should read? Not actually sure where I stand on that; we could have a good chat about it. I think there are books that help you understand the world better — the Bible is so influential, for example; Shakespeare, too, in a different way — and it’s a good idea to read them. But then I don’t necessarily think it’s a must.
- Do you reread? I reread books a lot, and nearly always find something new to enjoy in them (or I find the familiarity comforting), but some people think there isn’t enough time in the world. I can get that, but I love to reread.
- Comics? I didn’t get into comics myself until a few years ago, really, and I get that they just aren’t for some people. But I do like to know if I can ramble about Marvel’s latest direction with someone or not…
Honestly, if I know all those things about someone, I feel like we’re already pretty close! Books are pretty darn important, yo.
Favourites-Stephen King ‘IT’ and Harry Potter. I never dog ear or break the spines or read comics and I did buy second hand. I used to do that a lot but to be honest not so much now as most genres I read never appear in charity shops ie UF and apocalypse and especially indie books. Fave genres are UF, apocalypse, horror, monsters and tudors. I buy all my books and never use a library as our local ones are 10 years out of date and don’t stock my genres. I don’t believe any book exists that everyone should read. You either want to read a certain book or you don’t. I enjoy re-reading my favourites but haven’t had time for it recently.
chucklesthescot recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday
Ugh, out of date libraries suck, and it’s a self-perpetuating problem. If no one uses them, they lose budget, get no new books. Then no one wants to use them…
1. Cannot name one single favourite, I have several favourite series though: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson (and all the spinoff books), Skulduggery Pleasant, Throne of Glass, The Raven Cycle, Shades of Magic.
2. I use a bookmark (whatever’s handy, doesn’t necessarily need to be an actual bookmark), though I did dog ear in the past. Can anyone actually remember the page number???
3. I bend the spines, I don’t understand how people can manage to read without at least doing this a little!
4. I have bought second hand books in the past. Most of what I buy now is new.
5. Fantasy!
6. I did a lot when I was younger, I mostly buy books now though, I’m too impatient to wait!
7. Yes, I buy books all the time!
8. No. I think different books are for different people and there’s no one book that will appeal to everyone.
9. I used to reread a lot, I never seem to find the time anymore though. I miss it!
10. No, not big on comics.
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #114
Spine-bending wise… I don’t know, I guess it’s in the way I hold them? My mother says it’s really uncomfortable to do that, but I just don’t have that problem.
Fave book? I have lots, not a single go-to better-than-everything: The Secret History, The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, The Black Cauldron, The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes, The Midwich Cuckoos… and I’m only scratching the surface. Books that make my heart sing <3
Dog-ears, bookmarks, or page numbers? I occasionally bookmark, but I mostly use memory – not the page number, but I have an instinctive sense of how far through the book I am and am pretty good at getting right back to it.
Do you bend the spines, or keep your books pristine? I used to be able to read cover to cover without marking the spine and was terribly careful about it; now I multi-task, which occasionally means bending spines so I don't need my hands. But I try not to.
Do you buy second-hand books? Yes, but only if they're in good condition or REALLY old hardbacks.
What genre do you read? I'm all over the place (I've just finished a murder mystery), but primarily speculative fiction these days – space opera, alternative history and dystopias are all close to my heart, but there's plenty of room for out and out fantasy, urban fantasy and magical realism too.
Do you use the library? I try to get my read-along volumes and my classic SF from the library to save some money. However, my library is pretty rubbish at mid-list – it tends to have quite recent things and very old things, so typically can offer me books 4-6 in a series, but not 1-3. Or something from the 60s.
Do you buy books at all? Yes, although review copies have slowed me down a bit 🙂
Do you believe that there are books everyone should read? No. I think there are books I'd -like- everyone to read, but I know we all have such different tastes and experiences that there's no universal read – and I think that's true from a culture/history perspective too. I hate Dickens; I don't get the context I should from reading him because I'm loathing every minute of it.
Do you reread? Not as much as I'd like to. I grew up on rereads because it was hard to buy books in English in north Holland in the 80s, and it stuck with me through years on a careful budget. Now I'm drowning in TBR, and feel bad about rereads, but I still make time for them – read-alongs are always a good excuse!
Comics? very very rarely – mostly compilations of online periodic strips (like The Order of the Stick, or User Friendly). It's not something I've been tempted into.
imyril recently posted…Redux: June features more books than expected
Ha. You’d think I’d be catching up on my books given that I’m mostly in Belgium and books in English are expensive and not stocked much in the library, but… nope. I don’t know how I used to get through my backlog so fast and do so much rereading!
“Do you use the library” is a big one for me! I’m always faintly shocked when I hear new acquaintances say, “Oh, I never go to the library.” #8 is one I haven’t thought about much before – I agree it would make for interesting discussion.
Jenna @ Falling Letters recently posted…Family Reads: A List of Cages by Robin Roe
Exactly! I can get it if the library isn’t convenient (e.g. for people with disabilities), but…